In Veritas, Tempus Fugit
by Call-me-Zippy
Summary: Helen is reflecting on her life and all what is important to her.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**  
**Unsolicited Dancing**

There are occasions and then there are experiences this one crossed over into both. A curly haired Helen Magnus was wearing a gown with a scarlet base, with white pearls sewn around the trim. There was lace covering the bodice which was repeated twice circling around the layers of the skirt that would fit in and be considered part of the high society in the 19th century.

She was guided toward the dance floor by a cohort who swirled her around elegantly in time with the music. The dance floor was beginning to fill with people as more arrived, hiding the delicate engraved flower pattern from the view of the guests on the overhanging balcony.

The only thing that gave this part away for not being in the 19th century was a grey receding haired man on an old style mobile phone; Will Zimmerman. He looked as though he had, had enough of his conversation; his face was getting redder as he got angrier. His pale face was more readable these days, it gave away more of his emotions with his complexion.

He wanted this party to be perfect for Helen, it was a major mile stone, one he thought promptly needed celebrating. He started planning this party almost a decade ago trying to make up for the last disaster of a birthday. Will could only think of an extravagant Victorian themed party, the type that she would be embarrassed to accept but secretly grateful for; one to stand out among the years. Helen has this rule that she would only bother to celebrate every decade.

Helen was now dancing with another gentleman. The line to dance with her was getting longer and longer as the night went on. All of them dressed in Victorian costume, each using this chance to thank her for her work and to congratulate her on reaching her years.

Even as her friends danced round her she felt she had lived through her happy ending. The treatment she made to start herself ageing six years ago started to work for a while, then somehow her body realised ultimately, she failed to age any more. This is probably one of the things she envied the most of Will, he was normal, be it that he had just gone though another broken marriage, but he was happy for the most part.

Helen thought to herself, if she started a relationship with him, she would either end up dead or in a messy break-up. She mused to herself how the former would be more appropriate.

Tonight, she decided, when thanking him for this party she would possibly suggest starting a relationship. After all; Will was someone she trusted as well as being most fond of, despite his failings. Even if she didn't die at the end of the relationship she could make him happy for a few short years. What is it they say? You are only as young as the men you feel? Perhaps being in her 70s again would be much simpler time.

Helen looked as though she was about to fall over from the vortex of dancing. She stepped out avoiding gazes from the next in line to dance with her. She shuffled to the side trying to figure out a safe path toward the wine without being sucked into the crowd.

Before she had a chance to move a glass was handed to her, 'Nikola Tesla.' she said in a surprised tone.

He was dressed, or rather over dressed in attire only his flamboyance could get away with. The moment Helen's eye caught him; it sent her memories back in time when she was still at Oxford University. He had even grown his barbershop moustache to the same length and thickness. A while ago, on one of Tesla's sporadic visits he start growing flecks of stubble, when Helen commented on it, he distracted her completely by making a dodging remark. For all his charisma being normal was rather beyond his skill set, perhaps growing the moustache was his weird way of telling her he cared.

Helen was grateful for Declan MacRae's interruption; there was only so long one could stand and listen to scientific plans, with hints of world domination, from a borderline insane man at one's own birthday party.

'Care to dance?' Declan delivered in a suave manner holding out his hand. Helen looked at Tesla; his face might have been a look of disappointment.

'Nikola.' she said while nodding toward him, then took Declan's hand.

Declan smiled ever so slightly, like he had just won a point over Tesla. He glanced at him, uttered 'Nikola' while he nodded deliberately repeating Helen. Tesla's lip curled ever so slightly for a split second. It was a good thing for Declan one of Tesla's abnormal powers wasn't laser vision, however it wasn't for lack of trying as they walked away.

'You look splendid in a suit.' Helen commented.

'My favourite part are the tails.' He gave a little wiggle to give the full emphasis when he saw Helen smile he only increased the ridiculousness making her have a tiny giggle. They both took to the floor span for a little, enjoying each other's company. Every now and again Declan spotted Tesla glaring at him which only made him smile.

'Helen. I know it's your birthday but I thought you'd like to know.' He said still looking casual. 'The electrical disturbance is the same abnormal in three of the Sanctuary's except this one.'

'Are you sure?'

'It's what they told me. You know how it travelled around being stored in metal items? It's not the same one. Different somehow.'

'That means we have one on the loose.' Helen stated calmly trying to think of a plan.

'How do you know it's just one?' Declan questioned as they both went into another spin.

'There could be more, just waiting until they are triggered.' Helen guessed, the realisation coming to her; they were all in danger.

'Could we have seriously assumed they would have only attacked us with only one of those things?' Declan responded half reminiscing talking to his younger self.

Helen nodded as if it was all becoming clear to her, 'there was a lot of damage.'

Declan held onto her tighter as he felt her about to rush off to do a series of tests.

'It's your Birthday. I've got someone else running some tests. They don't need you at the moment. The abnormal hasn't made a move since; it might not even be here.' He could see his argument wasn't going to work so he tried another tactic. 'Will went to a lot of effort for this party, you should be enjoying it.' He stopped leading trying to get her full attention. 'I only told you, because you have a right to know.'

Helen fought the urge to scamper away by taking a deep breath, rationality of thought tapped her on the shoulder making her start to relax a bit. The abnormal hasn't done anything in forty years, it was hardly about to do anything on this night. Now was the time to enjoy this themed party with her friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**  
**Abstinence is best left to the adults**

A distant ticking from a clock was getting louder as Helen rolled over in her bed. The ticking was now loud enough to force her awake a little more to feel a throbbing headache doing the conga was looping round her head. She looked up trying to focus on her bed post. She had a hard time doing so, someone had stolen it.

Not her bed?

A loud breath of a person sleeping next to her startled her as he rolled over.

Not her bed!

Only bad things could come from this.

Helen crept out of the bed, gather her clothes in the most silent way she could. Once she was out of the door she found she was closer to her office from these guest quarters. If she was fast enough she could make it without anyone seeing. The last thing she needed was Tesla having this over her. Age was meant to make you wiser? This lapse in judgement was beyond foolish.

She made it to her office and logged on to her computer. She went straight for the security tapes and deleted her going into Tesla's room and leaving. If he tries to embarrass her he wouldn't have any evidence and thankfully she could claim it never happened.

Once she was safe in the knowledge she had done this task, she grabbed the dress and slung it over her as she flopped into the settee. She deserved another hours sleep with the night she had.

All too soon there was some soft taps on the office door. They stopped after a while once they heard her getting up. It wasn't a sound to be missed as she did a couple of loud hops to jump into her dress and put it on best she could with hands that didn't obey any command intended for grace.

She stumbled rather clumsily to the door and wondered how hard to punch Tesla if he gave her even a flicker of a smug smile. She took in a deep breath composing herself as much as she could and opened the door.

'Will?' she mumbled with a minute hint of surprise.

'Looks like you had a rough night.' he mused after he looked her up and down, 'fight with an oyster?' he started to joke. Her response was just to stare at him and not even try to converse with him.

'Did you sleep in there the whole night?'

'Oh, shut up Will, I have a hangover.' she responded, annoyance plastered all over her face. She pushed past him and walked hurriedly toward her room. Maybe if she moved fast enough he wouldn't bother to follow her. He didn't, he just stood there with his mouth slightly open trying to put the clues together, although the state of shock didn't help him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**  
**Endearment in a teapot**

_Thirty-nine years ago_

Kate Freelander was boiling the kettle in Sanctuary's kitchen. She had gotten into the habit of pouring the boiled water into a tea pot Helen had gave her for a wedding gift. The reason why it was in the Sanctuary kitchen and not in the comfortably sized kitchen at home was one she kept from Helen. It was horribly ugly, the pattern, the style, the colours all seemed to be constantly fighting with each other. If Helen weren't as eccentric as she was with design tastes, it would have been easy to consider the gift as an insult.

Kate had tried to keep it on the counter for the first few months after receiving it, but soon put it in the cupboard, only getting it out when Helen dropped by.

In the end having it in the cupboard was too much, Kate would wake up in the middle of the night with dreams that the tea pot was attacking and tearing up her kitchen. She had constant fights with her Husband to decorate it the way it was, he didn't like it, but she loved it. He wanted it his way because he was going to spend the most time in there cooking, nevertheless she had used her charm to convinced him that she would take over the cooking if she had the kitchen the way she wanted. It didn't last long.

Kate moved the tea pot to the Sanctuary along with some matching cups when Helen was off travelling. If she had noticed by now she was too polite to say anything.

Kate put the tea pot in the centre of the table wincing ever so slightly to leave it there. Maybe she could encourage the two small children sat at the table to help accidentally destroy it. They didn't seem to mind it at all, the smallest one look as though he was happy to see it. That she found weird, even for all the things Kate had seen. She'd have to do something about that.

There was a small humming sound that started to get a tiny bit louder, she looked around and found it was coming from the fridge. She tapped the outside, 'ancient thing.' then proceeded to get the milk out.

'Mōmiyā'ī can I pour the tea, please?'

'No, you'll burn yourself.' Kate answered almost automatically.

'But Daddy lets me!' Connor protested, 'I asked nicely!' he added folding his arms in a mood which was then enhanced by slumping down in the chair. Clearly his mum wasn't going to rise to the occasion to argue with him. She looked at his little grumpy face that she could only smile at. Feeling a bit bad for him she got out an extra cup and saucer. She leaned forward waving the cup, 'Do you want a grown up cup like Mōmiyā'ī?' The only response she got was a tiny sulky nod. Then she filled up the two cups and a beaker after sitting down to drink her tea with the horrid pot glaring at her.

The fridge started to make an even louder buzzing sound, Kate went over to it then stuck her head in, poking the thermostat. She had to move the mountain of cheese away from the filament at the back, to try and get the sound to decrease.

Rapidly the pitch of the buzzing changed, she knew that sound, that was the sound of something just before it explodes. She pushed away from the fridge, ran toward her children, grabbing them and half pulling them along. Almost at the door she fell with the unbalanced weight of them but she managed to use the impact to slide them along the floor. They both looked like rag dolls as they skated toward the door on their bellies. Connor grabbed his little brother puling him even further away when they started slowing.

The fridge had electrical pulses running up and down it, the wall surrounding it look as though it were bending toward it then the electric built up shooting straight up into the ceiling. A shock wave made its way forward surrounding everything in a blue light. The continence of the cupboards spurted outward crashing with each other to the floor. It went over the table cracking the pot, tea jumped to the ceiling splattering so it rained down. Kate let out a scream as the wave went over her.

Connor held his brother close to him trying to push further away in the few seconds he had. Then the wave diminished just short of them. The brothers crawled back to their mum and poked her trying to wake her up. After Connor wiped his tears away he told his brother to stay with Kate. He ran out of the room, to get help.


End file.
